"There is not enough free memory to run this program" error message when you start one of the Visio 2002 programs

When you start any of the Visio 2002 programs, you receive the following error message: If you click OK, you receive the following error message:

This error message occurs under Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) if you have turned off virtual memory or set the maximum size of the virtual memory too low.

This error message also occurs under Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000 if the paging file is too small.

To resolve this behavior, turn on virtual memory, or increase the maximum size of the Virtual Memory settings in Windows 98 or Windows Me. Or, increase the size of your Windows 2000 or Windows NT paging file. Use the appropriate method for your version of Microsoft Windows.

Windows 98, Windows Me

In Windows 98 and Windows Me, Office programs require virtual memory to be turned on. To turn on virtual memory, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Performance tab.
3. Click Virtual Memory.
4. Click to select the Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings. (Recommended) check box.
5. Click OK, and then close the window.
6. When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.

Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000

In Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, you cannot turn off virtual memory. You must increase the size of the paging file instead. To do this, use the appropriate method for your version of Windows.

Windows NT 4.0

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Performance tab.
3. Click Change.
4. In the Virtual Memory dialog box, you can change the parameters for your paging file (initial size, maximum size, and so on). After you change the settings, click Set, and then click OK.
5. Click Close.
6. When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.

Windows 2000

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click Performance Options.
4. In the Virtual Memory dialog box, you can change the parameters for your paging file (initial size, maximum size, and so on). After you change the settings, click Set, and then click OK.
5. Click Close.
6. When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.

In Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, and Windows 2000, virtual memory allows the computer to use hard disk space as random access memory (RAM). The operating system uses virtual memory to augment the RAM that is installed on the computer.

If you turned off virtual memory in Windows 98 or Windows Me, or have too low a maximum setting for virtual memory, or if you reduced the size of the paging file in Windows NT or Windows 2000, Office programs may not start correctly or at all.

This behavior may occur even if the computer has a large amount of RAM installed (32 megabytes [MB] or more). The amount of virtual memory required varies depending on the amount of installed RAM. On a Windows 98 or Windows Me system that has 24 MB of RAM, you must also have a minimum of approximately 24 MB of virtual memory to start an Office program. However, increasing the amount of virtual memory also greatly increases the performance of your computer under Windows 98 or Window Me.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: